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No. 626,6l8. Patented June 6, I899. J. F-. KDOB.

CLOTHES BACK.

(Application filed Dec. 1, 1897. Renewed Nov. 17, 1898.)

2 Shaets-8heet I.

(No Model.)

INVENTOH JIFM v A ro/m5 rs.

W/TNESSES M745 mm PETERS co. wofaumou WASHINGTON. g. c.

No. 626,6I8. Patented June 6, I899.

J. F. KUUB.

CLDTHES BACK.

{Application filed. Dec. 1, 1897. Renewed Nov. 17, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. KOOB, OF UNION, HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO ALEXANDER J. ACKERMANN, OF SAME PLACE.

CLOTHES-RACK.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 626,618, dated. June 6,1899. Application filed December I, 1897. Renewed November 17, 1898.Serial No 696,739. (No model.)

in use will occupy a vertical position and which when in use will occupya horizontal position, the construction of the rack being such that itwill be simple, durable, and economic, and to provide a means wherebywhen the rack is in a vertical position the slats of the rack will bequite close together, the rack at that time occupying but'little space,

and whereby, further, when the slats are raised to a horizontal'positionthey will be automatically spread apart, so as to afford a maximumsurface for drying purposes.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic lockingdevice for holding the slats of the rack in a horizontal position, whichlocking device may be tripped by a person standing on the floor, nomatter at what elevation the rack may be.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved rack in its horizontal position.Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a frontelevation of a rack when folded or in its vertical position. Fig. 5 isan enlarged detail sectional view of the back or bracket plate and thelockingarm for the body or supporting-plate of the rack, and Fig. 6 is afront elevation of the back or bracket plate.-

A represents a back plate or bracket, from each side of which an arm 10is outwardly projected. In these arms 10 the trunnions 11 of a body orsupporting-plate G are jourr naled, the back plate or bracket beingadapted for attachment to a wall B or. other support. The body orsupporting-plate O is preferably of semicircular form and of skeletonconstruction, the front and back portion being connected by a centraltransverse bar 12, and the said body or supporting-plate is furthersupported by longitudinal brace-bars 13, which extend from the sides atthe back to the central bar 12, the longitudinal brace-bars 13 beingmore or less diagonally placed to meet the central bar 12 at or nearacentral point, as shown in Fig. 1. V

Adiagonal track 15 is formed upon the back plate or bracket A, as shownin Fig. 6, the said diagonal track at its lower edge being carrieddownward to form a more or less straight continuation 16. At the centralportion of the back plate or bracket two teeth 17 and 18 are formed, thelower face of the up per tooth 17 being straight and its upper faceinclined, whereas both the upper and the lower faces of the lower tooth18 are inclined, as shown in Fig. 5. At the front or circular portion ofthe body or supporting-plate O a rib 19'is formed upon the upper surfaceof the plate, and bosses 20 are formed upon the diagonal brace-bars 13at predetermined intervals apart. These bosses are adapted to receivethe pivot-pinsofrails or slats 21, adapted to carry the articles to bedried. These'slats are arranged in sets, each set comthe sets arearranged at each side of the center of the body or supporting-plate O,asshown best in Fig. 1.

I In front of the body or supporting-plate O the slats of each set areconnected by links 22 or plates pivotally attached to the slats at oneend and provided at the opposite end with slots 23, receiving pivot-pinsprojected downward from the slats. The outer slats of each group extendfarther rearward beyond their pivot-points than the other slats, and theconnecting-bar 24E is pivoted to'the rear end of one of these outerslats and to the outer slat of the opposite group, the pivotalconnection with this latter slat being made in front of the pivot-pointfor the slat, as is also shown in Fig. 1, so that when the outer slat ofone group is carried in direction of one side of the device all of theslats will be spread apart;

the distance between the slats being regulated by the length of thelinks 22. The spreading of the slats is usually brought about by anangle-lever 25, the longer member whereof is adapted to engage with theinclined track on the back plate or bracket, and the shorter member ofsaid angle-lever is pivotally connected bya link 26 with the rear endportion of the outermost slat, with which the connecting-bar 24: isconnected at a point in front of the pivot of said slat, as shown inFig. 1.

An arched bar 27 is secured to the under face of the body orsupporting-bar, the said arched bar being carried rearward and upward,and upon the free end of this arched bar 27 a pawl 28 is pivoted,weighted at one of its ends to overbalance the head portion of the pawl,the said pawl being adapted to engage with either of the teeth 17 orlS.A projection 29 is formed upon the arched bar 27 near the pivotof' thepawl 28, the extension being carried rearward, and one end of a cord ora chain 30 is secured to this extension, the cord being adapted to passthrough a guide 32, secured to the bracket or back plate A at a pointbelow the teeth 17 and 18. The guide is so formed that its upper portionis horizontal, or that portion which is attached to the back plate,while the forward portion or seeti'on of the guide is given a downwardand a forward inclination, as is particularly shown in Figs. 3 and 5. Astop 33 is secured upon the rope or chain 30, which limits the downwardmovement of said rope or chain..

In operation, supposing the slats to be in a vertical position, as shownin Fig. 4, and it is desired to use the rack, the rope or chain, whichat this time will be at the forward end of the guide 32, is drawndownward and at the same time carried rearward, whereupon the arched baror arm 27, which at this time will be in the upper position, (shown indotted lines in Fig. 3,) will be carried downward or brought to thehorizontal posit-ion, (shown in positive lines in Fig. 3,) the pawlengaging with the under face of the upper tooth 17. As the arched bar isbrought downward to a horizontal position and the slats are carried alsoto the horizontal position the longer member of the lever 25 will traveldown the inclined surface of the track 1 5 and will cause the slats tospread apart, assuming the position shown in Fig. 1. When it is desiredto drop the slats, bringing them to the vertical position, (shown indotted lines in Fig. 3 and in full lines in Fig. 4,) the rope or cord30, which is preferably provided at its lower end with a knob 31, isdrawn downward and carried outward to the outer or lower end of theporting-plate and arranged in pivotally-connected sets, a leverconnected with the sets of the slats, and a guide-track for the leverwhereby the slats are automatically spread when they are brought to ahorizontal posi- 7 tion, substantially as set forth.

2. In a clothes-rack, the combination, with a back plate, asupporting-plate pivoted thereto, and slats pivoted on the supportingplate, of a link connection between the slats, and a connecting-baruniting the'outermost slats, a lever attached to one of the outermostslat-s, and an inclined track upon which the said lever travels when theslats are brought to a horizontal position, as specified.

3. In a clothes-rack, the combination, with a back plate havinganinclined track, a supporting-plate carried by the back plate, slatspivoted upon the supporting-plate and arranged in sets, and linkconnections between the slats of each set, of a bar pivotally connectingthe outermost slats of the sets, a lever fulcrumed upon thesupporting-bar and connected with one of the outermost slats, the leverbeing adapted to travel on the inclined track, and means for raising thesupportingplate to a horizontal position and lockin g the plate in suchposition, as described.

4. In a clothes-rack, the combination, with a back plate, asupporting-plate pivotall'y connected with the back plate, an inclinedtrack formed upon the back plate, slats pivoted upon thesupporting-plate,the outermost slats extending farther rearward than theintermediate slats and said slats being arranged in groups, and linkconnections between the slats of a group, of abar pivoted toone of theoutermost slats at the rear of its pivot and connected with the opposingoutermost slat in advance of the pivot of such slat, a lever connectedwith one of the outermost slats, adapted when the slats are brought tothe horizontal position to travel: along the inclined track andspreadsaid slats, an arm carried rearward from the supporting-plate, apawl carried by the said arm, teeth located on the back plate andadapted for engagement with the said pawl, and means for bringing thepawl into or out of engagement with the teeth of the back plate,substantially as described.

5. In a clothes-rack, the combination, with a back plate provided withan inclined track, a supporting-plate pivoted to the back plate, slatsarranged in groups, pivoted on the supporting-plate, the outermost slatsextending beyond the intermediate ones, links connecting the slats ofeach group, and a connecting- "bar pivoted to oneof the outermost slatsat the rear of its pivot and to the opposite outermost slat in advanceof its pivot, of an anglelever pivoted on the supporting-plate, a linkconnection between the angle-lever and one of the outermost slats, anarched arm extending rearwardly from the supporting-plate, agravity-pawl carried by the said arm, teeth carried by the back plate,adapted to be engaged by the said pawl, a guide attached to the backplate, and a rope or chain attached to the said arm and extendingthrough the IQ said guide, for the purpose set forth.

JOHN F. KOOB;

Witnesses:

J FRED. ACKER, EVERARD BOLTON MARSHALL.

